Nightshade

Chapter 32 - Adulterous Bouts | Jason

My memories are more alive than I am

I'm haunted by my own mind

I try to walk forward, but I'm not

Because my back is facing the front

— Weeping Willow by Hellfreaks

"Yes, Elle, just make it happen—" Jason paused, his heart jumped when someone knocked on the door.

"Hold on, Elle." Jason walked to open the door while holding the phone to his ear. He frowned when he saw Evelyn.

Evelyn gave him a sheepish wave.

"I'll have to call you back, Elle." Jason stepped aside for Evelyn to enter. "Not the sister I was hoping for—"

"Don't be a dick." She punched his shoulder. "I really need to pick your brain on something."

Jason raised his eyebrows. "Go fish, I have no details on Sam's feelings."

She shook her head. "It's not that, it's a bit more...serious."

Jason sighed. "Okay, let's talk." He led her to the living room and sat down on the sofa.

Evelyn gracefully sat on the sofa opposite him and crossed her ankles.

Jason watched her carefully practiced antics. She was the product of her mother and the opposite of her sister. "What's on your mind?"

Evelyn took a deep breath. "Sky just asked me if I could remember anything out of place around the time of her mother's death."

Jason sat up straighter. "And could you?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest." She shrugged. "But her questions did make me remember some other things I swept under the rug for all these years."

Jason frowned. "What do you mean?"

Evelyn swallowed. "Please don't be offended, it involves your father—"

Jason shook his head. "It's fine, go on."

She nodded. "I think I was six, or around that age, regardless, I remember being aware of the tension between my parents, no doubt there has always been tension, but I guess that's when I started understanding snippets of their arguments."

Jason nodded with a furrow on his brow.

"That's how I found out about Skylar, by the way, listening to my parents fighting. But there was a time when my mother frequently met up with your father, and I don't think my dad was aware of it. This, coincidentally, started a few months before Donna was...ah...died." Evelyn shot Jason a nervous glance.

Jason frowned. "I know, she told me. It was murder."

Evelyn sighed and tucked her hair behind her ears. "I'm still out of breath thinking about what she must have gone through. I'm so ashamed of my mother for essentially throwing my little sister away in her moment of need." She released a shaky breath.

Jason leaned back into the sofa. "We can't change what happened, but we can try and help her find the truth now."

Evelyn nodded and chewed on her thumb. She looked overcast.

Jason tried to read her face. "What's bothering your pretty head, Waldorf?"

Evelyn dropped her hand to her lap but refused to meet his eye. "Jason, I need you to tell me I'm conjuring up nonsense because I cannot fathom my mother being any worse, did she have an affair with your father?"

Jason sighed and pulled a hand through his hair. "Yes. I walked in on them once, of course, they didn't notice me, but yeah, never been a fan of your mother." He shrugged. "It happened back then and, well quite recently, just before my father died..." Jason trailed off as a heavy penny dropped. No fucking way. Could it be related?

Tears welled up in Evelyn's eyes. She looked up to the ceiling to stop them from spilling. "God, my whole family is one big fuck up." She dropped her head in her hands. "Why have you never mentioned my mother's adulterous bouts?"

"It's not exactly the sort of subject you just bring up." Jason shrugged.

"My mother hated Donna, and not long after my dad announced he was leaving, Donna was murdered. Please tell me I'm paranoid." She looked deadly pale. "I... I need to go." She suddenly sprang up and ran out the door.

Jason stared after her in shock, fearing the conclusion she might have drawn.